Electric switch



Aug. 27, 1940. J HAMMERLY 2,213,124

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Jan. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 29 J; 25 2 ,9

"I 15 'IIILFtJJIIIIIIImHHIIIIIllll E? ii i! o v I i I l I vdmmmlmlmmllliiil fI"!llmumllll'miltilimmmmmum.

INVENTOR Herman J famiizergy Aug. 27, 1940. H. J. H-AMMERLY 2,213,124

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Jan. 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 x mmmuuu nu m: 510mmmm Illll a II J? 4 BY J AT RNEY Patented Aug. 27, 1940 ELECTRIC SWITCHHerman John Hammerly, New Britain, Conn, as-

signor to The Trumbull Electric Manufacturing Company, Plainville, Conn,a corporation of Connecticut Application January 3, 1938, SerialNo.-'182,996

5 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to switches of the so-called enclosedor safety type having quick make and break mechanism.

One object is to provide a switch of this type having the switchmechanism per se assembled as a unit and readily insertable andremovable as such into and from a switch box and having the quick makeand break mechanism fixed in the box, the connections between the switchmechanism and the quick make and break mechanism being such thattheparts are automatically brought into operative relation by the mereinsertion and fastening of the switch unit in the box.

nism carried by the box body independently ofthe cover.

Another object is to provide an enclosed switch with the cover handle,switch operating handle and cover latch on the same plane.

Another object is' to provide guide means for properly positioning theswitch unit in the box.

In carrying out the invention I mount the switch unit and circuitprotecting devices upon a base plate which is insertable into the openbox and secured to the bottom of the box by screws which fit intokeyhole slots or the like.

The box may be of the usual type with a cover hinged along one side edgeand provided with a handle and latch at the opposite side.

The switch actuating mechanism preferably of the quick make and quickbreak type is mounted upon one side wall of the box and provided with anoperating handlev which projects from one corner of the box, the cornerof the cover being cut away to clear the handle. Interlocking means ispreferably provided between the switch actuating mechanism and the coverof the box so as to normally prevent opening of the cover when thecircuit is closed and so as to normally prevent closing of the circuitwhen the cover is open. The interlocking mechanism, however, may bereadily retracted so as to permit manual operation of the switch by thesimple insertion of a tool through a slot in a wall of the box. Thehandle for the cover is at the lower end of the box and the handle forthe switch is at the upper end.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a switch embodying my invention, the coverbeing shown closed and the switch operating handle or lever beingshown'in the off position.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. a

Fig. 3 is a front view showing the cover of the box opened out, theprotective fuses however being omitted.

Fig. 4. is an end view of the removable switch unit.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the same, a part being broken away.

Fig. 6 is an interior side view showing the switch actuating mechanismon the side wall of the box, said parts being shown in the of! position.

Fig. '7 is a similar view showing the parts in the on position.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view through the hub of the quick make and breakdevice on the sidewall of the box.

In the usual and preferred form of the invention the box It! may beformed of sheet metal and provided with a cover II hinged at I2 on oneof the side walls. A spring pressed latch I3 is usually provided to holdthe cover closed and a handle l4 is'provided to facilitate openingthecover. The latch I3 is mounted on the wall of the box opposite thehinges I2.

The operating handle I5 is pivoted at [6 inside on one wall of the boxand adjacent one corner thereof. The edge I! of the box opposite thehinges is preferably flanged over and slotted as at l8 and I8 to allowfor the latch l3 and the handle IS. The handle is provided with anarcuate portion [9 which is adapted to bear indications as to the .onand "ofP positions. This portion I9 is provided with a number ofperforations 20 for the insertion of locking or sealing devices. V.

A correspondingly shaped flange 2| is also preferably secured to the boxand provided with openings 22 adapted to register with the openings 20for the reception of the sealing or locking devices. This flange mayconveniently be formed as an integral part of a reinforcing angle member23 secured to the wall of the box adjacent the handle. The corner of thecover is cut away I at 24 to clear the handle and its arcuate portionHi. It will be seen that this arcuate portion always closes the slot ISin the flange of the box.

The switch mechanism proper is shown as having an actuating crank shaft25 whose ends 25 and 27 are suitably pivotally supported. This crankshaft has at one end an arm 28 which extends beyond the wall of theswitch umt and is adapted to be slid into engagement with a part of thequick make and break actuating mechanism mounted on the wall of the box.

This mechanism includes an oscillating disc 38 which is mounted to turnon the stationary bearing 3| mounted on the side wall of the box. Thisdisc 30 has projecting spaced apart lugs such as 32 as is customary inquick make and break mechanisms.

The throwing spring 33 is mounted on a rod 34 which has one end hingedto the disc 30 in any suitable manner and its other end projectingloosely in a bracket 34' on the side wall. An actuating disc 35 is alsomounted on the bearing 3! between the disc 30 and side wall and isprovided with a lost motion slotted connection with the disc 36 forinstance by means of rivets 36 which are secured to disc 30 and extendinto slots in the disc 35 in the customary manner. This disc 35 isconnected by link 31 to the inner part of the handle l5 so that when thehandle is moved from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shownin Fig. 7 or vice versa, the disc 35 will be given a correspondingrotation but in the reverse direction and cause the quick make and breakdevice to operate and thus through the medium of the crank shaft openand close the circuit of the switch in the usual manner.

It will be noted that the quick make and break mechanism and theactuating mechanism are all mounted on one wall of the box.

I also preferably provide suitable interlocking mechanism including forinstance a latch 40 mounted on a hinge pin 4| in the side wall of thebox and provided with a slot to permit the latch to have not only arotative motion about the pivot 4| but a swinging motion for retractingpurposes as will be understood. This latch has a hook portion 42 adaptedto interlock when the cover is closed with a pin 43 carried by thecover. The wall of the box is slotted at 44 to permit the pin 43 topass. The latch is also provided with an inclined part 45 adapted to beengaged by the pin 43 when the cover is closed so as to hold the latchin the position shown in Fig. 7 where the inner end of the latch 46 isheld retracted from the locking disc 41 which is mounted on the bearing3|. A spring 48 connected to the latch 40 and to the box wall biases thelatch toward the positions shown in Figs. 6

and 7.

When the parts of the switch are in the on position and the cover isclosed as shown in Fig. '7 the. cover is held closed by the engagementof the hook 42 with the pin 43. I preferably provide, however, a slot 49in the wall of the box adjacent the latch 40 through which a tool suchas the tip of a screw-driver may be inserted to engage the latch andretract the hook 42 from the pin 43 and permit the cover to be opened sothat the switch may be inspected. I

When the cover is open and the parts of the switch are in the offposition the inner end 46 of the latch 40 interlocks with the disc 41and normally prevents the actuation of the switch to close the circuit.The latch may, however, be readily retracted by the insertion of animplement into theslot 44 so as to engage the part 42 and tilt the latchabout its hinge pin 4! so as to disengage the inner end 46 from thelocking disc 41.

The switch contacts and protecting devices the other clips. Theseinsulating blocks are supported on channel-like members 55 and 56 whichare secured to the back plate 50.

The back plate is provided with a number of keyhole shaped openings orslots 51, the slots being slightly slanted, to receive the screws 58which are seated in the back wall of the box and guide the back plate toproper position. When the screws 58 are loosened it will be seen thatthe back plate may be readily slid toward the left as viewed in Fig. 3sufliciently to disengage the crank 28 from between the lugs 32whereupon the back plate with all of the attached parts of the switchand protective devices may be removed by drawing the back plate from thefront of the box. The same or another switch unit may be inserted andsecured in place in a reverse manner. As the slots are somewhat inclinedthe weight of the switch block andattached parts tends to hold them in'place even if the screws work loose.

It will thus be seen that the switch mechanism per se may be constructedand tested as a unit before insertion in the box or quickly replaced asa unit in case of damage to any of the parts.

Similarly the switch actuating mechanism may be constructed and theparts assembled in the box and tested independently of the switchcontact parts.

As the switch box has no projections from the sides it will be seen thata number of these switches may be mounted in a bank side by side in aminimum space. This type of construction also requires a minimum ofshipping space and a minimum of packing because of the absence oflateral projections. This type of construction also lends itself toconvenient operation either by hand or by means of an extension such asa pole frequently required when switches are to be mounted high up onthe wall or in places not readily accessible. Although this may in acertain sense be regarded as a front operated switch, it will be seenthat none of the switch or operating parts are carried by the cover. Itwill also be noted that the cover handle, the switch actuating handleand the interlocking latch are all positioned onthe same side of the boxwhen th cover is closed.

I .claim:

1. An enclosed switch including a box having rear and side walls. aswitch unit on the rear wall including stationary and movable switchmembers and an actuating crank shaft and quick make and break mechanismfastened as a unit on one of the side walls including an operatinghandle and a movable disk member adapted to actuate said crank shaft,said switch unit being attachable and detachable independent of andwithout interference with said quick make and break mechanism.

'2. An enclosed switch including a box having rear and side walls, areadily detachable switch unit on the rear wall including stationary andmovable switch members and an actuating crank shaft and quick make andbreak mechanism ineluding an operating handle and a movable disk memberadapted to actuate said crank shaft, said quick make and break mechanismbeing fastened as a unit on the inner side of one. of the side walls.

3. An enclosed switch including a box having rear and side walls,inwardly extending studs on the rear wall, a switch unit on the rearwall including stationary and movable switch members and an actuatingcrank shaft, and quick make and break mechanism fastened as a unit onthe inner side of one of the side walls including an operating handleand a movable disk member having spaced lugs adapted to engage the crankshaft for moving the same, said switch unit being attachable anddetachable as a unit independent of and without interference with saidquick make and break mechanism, said studs and spaced lugs being soarranged relatively that attachment of the switch unit to the studsautomatically positions the crank shaft in operative relationship withthe spaced studs.

outwardly through said opening and substantially filling said openingand said handle projecting forwardly of the box within the outerboundary of its supporting side wall, said arcuate-shaped flange havingspaced openings and the arcuateshaped portion of the operating memberhaving openings adapted to be moved into alignment with the openings insaid flange for receiving a seal.

5. In an enclosed switch, a box with side and rear walls, headed studmembers on the rear wall and protruding inwardly of the box, a switchunit detachably secured to the stud members, a quick make and breakmechanism fastened as a unit on the inside of one of the side wallsincluding an operating member, said switch unit including a supportingplate having slots therein for receiving said headed studs, stationaryand movable switch members secured to said plate and a crank shaft foractuating said movable members, each of said slots being shapedsubstantially like a keyhole slot and being elongated transversely relative to the side of the box, one edge of the slot having a slantingportion between the larger and smaller portions of the slot so that whenpositioning the switch unit in the box the slots and; studs coact insuch a way that the studs have a tendency to seat themselves in thesmaller portion of the slot thereby guiding the switch unit to properposition and insuring proper engagement between the operating member andthe crank shaft.

HERMAN JOl-m HAMMERLY.

